misd again...
I didn't say the engines on the DC9 would get damaged.
First off, if you are going to hit the engines on a DC9 (and they have been), you have to get by the fuselage, they aren't just sticking out in front of the wing.
Now, you mention damage...and that presumes the bird can do the damage...but the inlet on the jt8d is much smaller than the inlet/fan on the CFM 56, right?
maybe the birds would hit the bullet or the lip and not get by.
and of course the engines are not FADEC , just good old fashioned fuel controllers.
so...its my view...and of course unless you come up with the big bucks, the birds and a DC9, we won't really know.
but do look at a flock of birds...its almost like a anice delta wing...if they hit the 9 on the nose, would they get to the engines? of course they would on the airbus or 737...but
anyway...yes sully did fine...any landing you can swim away from is just fine.
could it have been better? I think so. But any landing you can swim away from is just fine.
And I hope all the pilots out there think about how they could do better, what they might do better etc...and not just accept that sully did it perfectly.